May marked a significant milestone for Angell Marketing, as the agency celebrated its 20th anniversary of supporting the lives of older adults and their families, and the 40-year career of Founder and CEO Wynne Angell. From her start as a senior living sales representative to becoming an aging advocate and founder of an award-winning senior living marketing agency in Phoenix, Angell has helped shape the industry.
Growing up in Ottawa, Kan., she spent summers working on her family’s multigenerational wheat farm. Her parents, now in their 90s, have always been sources of inspiration. Angell’s dad instilled in her and her sister the belief that they could achieve anything, and her mom’s dedication to helping seniors in the community influenced her career path.
Angell studied elementary education at William Jewell College before switching to business administration and marketing at Arizona State University. Her first post-college job was with Gordon’s Jewelers in Kansas City, Mo., where she quickly rose to manage her own store in Minnesota, solidifying her sales and management career.
A pivotal moment came when Angell transitioned from retail to senior living after being offered a pre-sales counselor role for a new retirement community. “I’ve always been motivated by a sincere desire to support older adults and fell in love with senior living,” she said.
Angell’s senior living expertise grew as she took on the role of marketing director for Friendship Village in Tempe, Ariz., in the early 1990s and later became a regional marketing and sales director for Life Care Services®. In 2004, after 12 years of traveling nationwide and overseeing multiple sales and marketing teams, the single mom wanted to travel less and have more control over her schedule.
“Pam Koester, then acting CEO of Arizona Association of Homes and Housing for the Aging, now Arizona LeadingAge, suggested I go into consulting. She believed in me even when I didn’t think I was qualified,” Angell said.
Angell Consulting was born, and its success led to the founding of Angell Marketing. The agency thrived by focusing on senior living clients, and today, Angell Marketing employs 40 full-time and contract employees, providing solutions to senior living communities nationwide.
Angell’s journey has not been without challenges. The dissolution of a franchise she invested in led her to refocus on senior living, solidifying her commitment to the industry. “While I ventured off briefly, senior living called me back 100%,” she said.
Throughout her career, Angell has been anchored by core values such as authenticity, honesty and perseverance. These values, along with client loyalty and commitment and support from her team, helped Angell Marketing navigate the Savings and Loan Crisis, Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve always taken Angell Marketing one year at a time, and I’m proud we’ve never had a down year or had to let anyone go during the pandemic,” she said.
A strong advocate for changing perceptions about aging, Angell is a frequent speaker for national aging associations. “Senior living communities offer safe, enriching places for older adults,” she said. “It’s so rewarding to help families find the right place for their loved ones.”
Angell prioritizes giving back to the Phoenix community. Her firm supports fundraising events to help residents stay in their communities despite financial challenges. She was an early supporter of Beatitudes Campus’ expansion and a founding member of its Power of the Purse campaign.
An Arizona LeadingAge member since 2010, Angell joined their board in 2022, and her team volunteers for their annual senior living fitness event. Looking to the future, she’s preparing a succession plan for her agency and eventually plans to split her time between her home in Phoenix and California to be closer to her daughter and parents.
“I still enjoy working and am not ready to retire, but I’m fortunate to have a strong leadership team in place,” Angell said. “When the time comes, I envision living in one of the stunning senior living communities we help market.”
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